


Future

by Relvetica



Series: Wolves [10]
Category: Fargo (2014)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:05:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1901817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Relvetica/pseuds/Relvetica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wrench was on level 87 in Tetris when Numbers decided that now would be a good time to strike up a conversation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Future

Wrench was on level 87 in Tetris when Numbers decided that now would be a good time to strike up a conversation. Wrench attempted to communicate that this was _not_ a good time to strike up a conversion by barely glancing up when Numbers seated himself on the bed opposite him and by not putting the Game Boy down, but Numbers didn't know that Wrench couldn't play Tetris at level 87 and talk at the same time, so that didn't really work. When Numbers waved a little to get his attention, Wrench sighed and put the game on pause. What? he asked.

Numbers pointed to the Game Boy and signed, what?

P-U-Z-Z-L-E game. It needs both hands, he added pointedly, but Numbers didn't look like he actually cared about the game; Wrench glanced at it make sure he'd had it muted, and then he set it down and waited.

Numbers actually looked a little uneasy, and it took him a few moments before he asked, you're not going out?

Wrench frowned and shook his head.

You don't go out now? Numbers asked.

I stopped.

Stop?

You yelled at me, Wrench said, and I stopped.

Numbers sat back with a strange expression on his face, confusion and curiosity and guilt mashed together into something unreadable. It wasn't _entirely_ true, but Wrench wasn't above the pettiness of letting Numbers think it was; he'd stopped while they were on the road like this, while they were on the job. It wasn't professional, and it was more effort than it was worth in these little towns he didn't know. The men who wanted to suck you off and the men who wanted to break your nose were far too often the same people at different levels of intoxication, and not the levels one would reasonably expect. But it _was_ true when it came down to it. Something had changed.

Numbers wasn't about to say that he was sorry, and Wrench wouldn't have believed him if he did, so after a length of stillness passed Wrench picked up his game again. No, wait, Numbers said.

Wrench paused it again and tried to look patient. 

Numbers hesitated, and then he asked, what does this mean? He held out an open palm vertically and then turned his wrist so it faced down.

Wrench blinked at him.

You use this a lot, Numbers said. Just now. What does it mean?

Wrench set the Game Boy aside entirely and glanced at the clock. Nearly midnight. No, this was not a good time to start this, but somehow Numbers had known to counter a needle of guilt by employing his own. Wrench sighed deeply and carefully fingerspelled F-I-N-I-S-H.

Numbers frowned and said it out loud. "Finish?"

Finish. Means P-A-S-T T-E-N-S-E. 

That took a moment to sink in. "Wait," Numbers' mouth said. "Wait, wait."

Wrench waited.

Sign language has T-E-N-S-E-S? Numbers asked, face aghast.

Wrench could really only answer that with a raised eyebrow, and Numbers started backpedalling immediately. Sorry, sorry, stupid, he signed. Stupid. Play your video game. Sorry. He looked mortified, but he had no reason to be; it said a lot about Wrench's abilities as a teacher that Numbers knew 'play video games' and not basic grammar.

You're not stupid, Wrench said.

I talk like a three year old, Numbers said.

No. You talk like an adult who's learning. It's okay.

Numbers dropped his head into his hands, his personal signal for utter but temporary despair. Wrench almost smiled at the sight of it. Numbers' shoulders heaved as he took a deep breath and looked up again. Okay, he said. Finish.

Wrench showed him the full sign, with both hands mirroring the motion. Finish. Done.

Finish, Numbers repeated. Beginning of the sentence?

Beginning or end, Wrench said. Try to use it at the beginning. Use it at the end if you forget. For now. Wrench was oversimplifying it a great deal, and there were other ways to express past tense, but this would be fine for the time being. It was, after all, just them.

Numbers nodded. Okay. ...What's F-U-T-U-R-E?

A good question. Wrench said, ask me tomorrow.


End file.
